Arab Hip Hop: A Music and Culture
"True to form, the Hip-Hop of occupied Palestine evokes themes of struggle and resistance as artists lay beats about drugs, violence, and the daily oppression they face under Occupation . . . Their artistic expression represent the "drama of the streets", the harsh reality of cultural and ethnic subjugation, and continues to be a productive means of expression for Palestinian youth to communicate with one another across the region and hopefully s.oon, with the rest of the world."
- Greta Anderson Finn, Political Art: "Arab American Hip-Hop"
- Greta Anderson Finn, Political Art: "Arab American Hip-Hop"
Hip Hop Culture: The New Bridge?
Hip Hop originated in the states - the culture however was not formed from unique circumstances. Hip hop culture has always been a way of reaching out to socially impoverished communities, and at the time it originated, a way of venting about the harsh realities of social constructs and racial discrimination.
Artists like the Palestinian group DAM, the voice Shadia Mansour, and El Rass outwardly express their frustration - their frustration becomes manifested in strength, ethnic and cultural pride, and hope for a social revolution that breaks from previous social constraints. More specifically, DAM voices their opinion about Arab stereotypes of barbarian violence and discriminatory gender roles:
"Normally hip-hop is known as chauvinistic, and the Arab world has a history of oppressing its women. We are Arab rappers doing a song against honor killing" (DAM, XXL).
In their work, their message is clear enough: territory that is theirs is no longer respected, and their people are no longer respected. Moreso, the group talks about pride: although the song "I'm in Love with a Jew" is in English, it satires social mobility in the context of discrimination:
"Yeah, it’s ['I'm in Love with a Jew'] a love song, a sarcastic love song. It’s called “I’m in Love With a Jew.” It’s a metaphor for the situation. I get stuck in the elevator with this beautiful woman, she’s Jewish, and we start to talk. It’s the same thing—we’re both stuck here in this situation, like an elevator, and the only difference between us is that, in the elevator, she’s pressing the up button and I’m going down. (DAM,XXL)
Similarly, Shadia Mansour came into prominence not only due to musical talent and musical popularity, but due to her work in representing the Arab community. She's a London-born Palestinian who, through a video competition advertising the London Olympics, spoke about the hardships of her people. As someone with greater resource, she reached out to her community - through her songs she instills pride and power in her audience. She speaks against unfair disadvantage that stems from one of many social prejudices:
"I'm pro-Palestinian does that make me a terrorist?" (InfoLive)
El Rass is a new up and coming artist who channels his work into unity within the Lebanese people all over the globe. He coordinates with various producers to gain prominence. His audience describes:
"His forte is the way that he is able to incorporate an understanding of nuance of language perhaps better than anybody . . . El Rass' broadsides are delivered in singular thrusts of the Arab language, resulting in imaginative lines evoking "the optimistic suicide bomber" or lauding "a rebel critical of the rebellion"" (Los Angeles Times).
Artists like the Palestinian group DAM, the voice Shadia Mansour, and El Rass outwardly express their frustration - their frustration becomes manifested in strength, ethnic and cultural pride, and hope for a social revolution that breaks from previous social constraints. More specifically, DAM voices their opinion about Arab stereotypes of barbarian violence and discriminatory gender roles:
"Normally hip-hop is known as chauvinistic, and the Arab world has a history of oppressing its women. We are Arab rappers doing a song against honor killing" (DAM, XXL).
In their work, their message is clear enough: territory that is theirs is no longer respected, and their people are no longer respected. Moreso, the group talks about pride: although the song "I'm in Love with a Jew" is in English, it satires social mobility in the context of discrimination:
"Yeah, it’s ['I'm in Love with a Jew'] a love song, a sarcastic love song. It’s called “I’m in Love With a Jew.” It’s a metaphor for the situation. I get stuck in the elevator with this beautiful woman, she’s Jewish, and we start to talk. It’s the same thing—we’re both stuck here in this situation, like an elevator, and the only difference between us is that, in the elevator, she’s pressing the up button and I’m going down. (DAM,XXL)
Similarly, Shadia Mansour came into prominence not only due to musical talent and musical popularity, but due to her work in representing the Arab community. She's a London-born Palestinian who, through a video competition advertising the London Olympics, spoke about the hardships of her people. As someone with greater resource, she reached out to her community - through her songs she instills pride and power in her audience. She speaks against unfair disadvantage that stems from one of many social prejudices:
"I'm pro-Palestinian does that make me a terrorist?" (InfoLive)
El Rass is a new up and coming artist who channels his work into unity within the Lebanese people all over the globe. He coordinates with various producers to gain prominence. His audience describes:
"His forte is the way that he is able to incorporate an understanding of nuance of language perhaps better than anybody . . . El Rass' broadsides are delivered in singular thrusts of the Arab language, resulting in imaginative lines evoking "the optimistic suicide bomber" or lauding "a rebel critical of the rebellion"" (Los Angeles Times).